Obviously
by Matron of Madness
Summary: It was so obvious he liked her, and it was so obvious she liked him. What was even more obvious was how repulsive their relationship was... So, obviously, I was going to have to do something about it.
1. Prologue: So, Obviously

**This chapter is just setting everything up, keep in mind. The chapters to come will be more interesting. XP**

_I don't own Rune Factory: Frontier, or it's characters! If I did, do you honestly think I'd be writing fanfiction for it? xD_

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Things in Trampoli never really changed. I mean, sure it was peaceful here, but every day it was just the same routine, give and take a few festivals that came once or twice every year. Otherwise, you did the same thing over and over. You woke up, stood in your house for a while because your too lazy to do anything else in the early morning, talk to a few people, walk around outside, buy something, maybe go grab an apple from the trees up in the mountains, and then you came home, stood there some more, and went to bed.

Most people would find that a turn-off, I guess, and I for one wouldn't blame them. Sometimes I wondered why I even stayed here. I mean, I could go live wherever I wanted – I had enough money to. I could go live in an exciting city where something new happens every day – but all in all, I suppose it's just the fact I like the peace and quiet.

Most of the time.

Now, standing here in the monster pin built into my mansion, I stared at a small pink, elephant-like monster that was nibbling away at some of it's food that Tabatha had put into the bin. His ear twitched, as if he could feel my gaze locked on him. Wrinkling my nose slightly, I let a sigh pass between my lips.

Francoise was the reason I stayed. I remembered that every time I looked at him. He couldn't survive in any other weather condition – this was the only way of keeping him with me. And I wasn't about to lose one of my few friends – that you could count on.

Stepping forward, I stroked the pink fur on him, and he made a small noise, as if letting me know he could tell I was there.

"Miss Bianca, you have a visitor!" Glancing up at the clock in the room, I read it as the hands struck nine. Right on time. Sighing, I made my way outside of Francoise's quarters and into the largest part of our summer mansion – the fountain room. Locking my gaze on the entrance doors, I watched as Tabatha, my maid, flashed me a smile, then made her way into the kitchen.

Coming through the doors behind her, a brunette came through the door, a rusty hoe thrown over his shoulder as if he were trying to put on display that he'd just finished working on his fields. I only hoped he didn't let any dirt drop onto our floors.

"Morning," I said in a sleepy voice, which was more-or-less laced with boredom as well. He didn't seem to notice my loss of interest with seeing him, because he came bounding up to me, that same idiotic smile on his face that he wore every day he spoke to me.

"Good morning, Bianca!" Raguna let out a hearty chuckle, his eyes sparkling in a friendly manner. I couldn't help but wonder why it was that he always spoke to me. We had nothing in common, and he was quite the annoying man.

That's what I told myself anyways.

"I like the quiet here," I offered suddenly, knowing he wasn't exactly skilled in starting off conversations. At least not when it came to me, I guess. "But other than that, this place has nothing else going for it..."

He frowned at my words for a moment, then let out another chuckle. "That's not true, Bianca." It was obvious he was going to disagree with me. I could tell, because every time I said something like that, he did. How was he so open with his affection of this stupid town?

"Hmph..." I just averted my gaze from him, biting my bottom lip slightly. I know it was childish to just blow off the entire conversation like that, but I didn't know what else to say. I wasn't skilled when it came to socializing...

Taking that as a hint, Raguna sighed. "I came to check on Francoise. Judging by the fact you were with him just a moment ago, I'm guessing he's fine though. So... I guess I'll be going." He paused when he noticed a small sigh escape my lips, then quickly added in, "I'll be helping Eunice with her work today. If you need to speak with me, Bianca, your always welcome to drop by..."

I didn't answer him. He really thought telling me _that _was going to make my day any better? What was so special about Eunice anyways? He was always hanging out with her – "doing work", he said. More like wooing her to the extreme.

"Good day," I said simply. It didn't seem to bother Ragnua – he was used to how stubborn my attitude was. That was all there is to it. Offering me one last smile, he dipped his head in a goodbye, then made his way towards the exit of our mansion, leaving me behind with a disgusted scowl.

Tabatha was watching me from the doorway of the kitchen, and if I would have actually spared her a glance, maybe I would've noticed the worry laced through her ever-beautiful blue eyes.

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It was that time of day again. The one time in the evening I actually left my mansion for anything – though, truth be told, I barely left my home at all. There were few occasions to, really. Standing outside, I closed the door to the mansion, my gaze going over to the side to watch Kross for a moment. He was such a strange man; he'd done a nice job on building everything I'd asked him to, but he always seemed down.

I looked like an over-excited version of Elmo compared to him.

Shaking my head, I picked up the fabric to my dress, as to not trip over it as I went down the hill our home was built on. Blinking a few times to get the sun's dimmed rays out of my eyes, I locked my gaze on yet another resident that lived nearby.

Erik.

He'd always interested me. Perhaps it was because I wasn't used to different kinds of people, but he always just seemed so out there, so friendly. I vaguely wondered how he managed to do it. Everyone loved him, everyone wanted to be his friend. If only he'd stop complaining about the lack of having a girlfriend, maybe he'd actually get one.

He noticed I was staring at him after a moment, though, and stopped from working on his fields. Leaning up to watch me in return, a soft smile spread on his lips, followed by an idiotic wave. Embarrassed at being caught, my cheeks stubbornly turned red, and I hesitantly raised my hand up, giving a graceful greeting back, though I kept an unwelcoming expression on my face.

He didn't mind, though. Outgoing as he was, he probably already knew the rumors about the snob that lived in the mansion. I wouldn't be surprised if Raguna had mentioned how tiring it was trying to get me to even speak with him.

Even though he kept his gaze locked on me, as if he were examining a fine piece of furniture for sell or something, my gaze was turned away from him by the sound of obnoxious giggles. I looked over to where the bridge led to Raguna's farm, only to see said man with a green-haired girl latched onto his arm. Judging by the fact he had cooking ingredients in his hands, I would guess they were eating at his house.

They'd been doing that pretty often lately.

Eyes narrowing in a judging way, that same scowl graced my lips. Erik noticed the change of my expression from where he stood, and followed my gaze to look at Raguna and Eunice. A frown plastered on his own lips, and he put his hoe down, taking a few steps towards me, then stopping, as if he were debating whether approaching me was a bad idea or not.

Kross, whom was still standing in front of his house, gaze us a glance, before turning to face us completely. He seemed interested in the situation, probably because he always found gloomy things to be fun.

However, right when both men opened their mouths to speak with me, Tabatha came out of the mansion behind me and placed a hand on my shoulder, causing me to jump out of my loathing trance. Turning to face her, I replaced my scowl with a bored look, releasing a sigh.

"Are you ready to head to the shops, Miss Bianca?" She smiled sweetly at me, and I cringed, once again reminded of the fact there was only one person I could count on to never betray me in terms of friendship. Simply nodding at her question, she smiled and stepped by me, making her way towards the path that led to the city.

Right before I followed her, I shot a glance over at Erik, whom had returned to his work. Kross had done the same. Staring at the brunette one last time, I realized he actually didn't look that bad. For a farmer, that is.

Glancing in the direction Raguna and Eunice had gone, then once more back at the male, a plan began to come to mind. Right as I turned to follow Tabatha, a small, sneaky smile spread on my lips. Erik gazed up, shooting another glance at me.

I saw a smile of his own form on his lips, but didn't give much thought to it. My mind was on Raguna and Eunice at the moment. And only one thing could cross through it:

It was _so obvious_ he liked her, and it was _so obvious_ she liked him. What was even _more_ _obvious_ was how repulsive their relationship was... So, _obviously_, I was going to have to do something about it.

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**Yes! I've finally posted the prologue to this story! :D I'm really excited to write this, mainly because I have it all planned out in my head.**

**Plus, Bianca and Erik were my favorites in the game, so I'm going to absolutely love having them as the main characters. Kross too, because for some reason, there's just no hating that guy.**

**Okay, on another note, I'm sorry about this chapter, I know it was probably boring. I just wanted to use it to get everything set up before I dove into the real story-line, because, I mean, I want it to make sense, you know.**

**And I know first-person isn't exactly the best, but I felt it'd be the most effective, 'cause I want to **_**really **_**dive down into Bianca's thoughts. Anette fans may also rejoice – there will be parts of the story from her point of view too, because I'm hoping to have her play an important part as well.**

**Review because it makes me update faster! I promise, it really does, and I'm hyped up over this. xD**

**-LovelyxxMelody**


	2. Chapter I: Can't do it Alone

_I don't own Rune Factory: Frontier, or it's characters!_

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I stared at the plate before me that was stacked high with food, a portion that would please only a man like my father. Staring at it all gave me somewhat of a stomachache, and I immediately groaned, pushing it away from me, over to the other side of the table. Tabatha noticed this and blinked curiously, turning around from her place by the sink, where she was cleaning the three plates that Francoise had previously finished with. Nothing but the best for him, of course.

"Miss Bianca, is the food not to your liking? I can cook you something else if you'd..." I shook my head, allowing her to stop in the middle of the sentence. She frowned at this, obviously able to tell that there was something wrong given my behavior. "Are you feeling well?" I nodded this time, then turned to face her, sitting sideways in my chair.

"You expect me to eat this much? It's merely too much. Looking at it all makes me sick," I muttered, a snobbish tone running through my voice instinctively. Tabatha got an apologetic look, but before she could utter another word, I rose from my seat and pushed it forward, abandoning the table and making my way back to the stairs in the entry-way.

I pondered heading back up to my room, but let it be, glancing over at the doorway. I sighed and stepped out, glad that it was a holiday so that no one would be curious as to why I suddenly decided to roam around. Seeing as it was a habit of mine, though I'd never admit it.

As usual, Kross was still standing outside his house, messing around with logs he'd thrown about. Erik, however, had already gone inside for the night. By the looks of it, anyhow. It'd been a few days since my brief greeting towards him, giving me time to think about what had popped into my head back then. Raguna and Eunice had become more exclusive with their relationship, leaving me to believe things had to be planned carefully if I wished for them to succeed...

Oh, the things Tabatha would tell me if she knew I was plotting against one of my so-called friends.

Glancing around for a moment to make sure no one was here to witness this, I gathered what little dignity I could muster at this point and made my way across the small field separating me from Erik's little farm. At least it was dark out; from further off, I'd just look like a shadowy blob. Though I dread to think someone mistake me for a monster.

Stopping when I came to the front of his apparent home, I knocked on the door gently, glancing to the side to make sure the light was still on – which, of course, it was. It occurred to me I could have just waltz in; it was a shop after all, but still... this wasn't a business call. Well, at least, not the business that he was used to, I'm sure.

Moments passed and the door finally clicked open. The bubbly brunette had on a bright smile, obviously expecting one of his regulars. Considering that smile soon turned to a look of shock, I'm going to go ahead and assume he didn't think the snob from the mansion would be standing there waiting for him.

"Bianca!" Erik blinked a few times, almost as if he were trying to decide if I were real or not. As silly as it may sound, I actually thought he may have figured I was a shape-shifting kind of monster. Well, I suppose there wouldn't be much else a reason for me, of all people, to be there. I sighed at his reaction, retracting my body weight to my right foot, leaning slightly. My pigtails bounced with the motion, causing the ribbons to loosen up from holding them in. Before I had a chance to fix them, he motioned me inside. "Do come in!"

I suddenly remembered his dating status. I was going to scream if he took my visit here the wrong way. I suppose I should have thought about this before coming over here, but it was far too late now. I just had to make sure I kept the discussion on my proposal to him.

"I won't be here long," I warned, a little more harshly than I'd intended. Pushing him inside as I walked in, I scrunched my nose together, rolling my eyes at the small shop, home, farm house thing... whatever it was. It reminded me of the first time I ever saw Raguna's farm; it was small, and smelly. Dirt and seeds everywhere. Honestly, I didn't understand how people could live in these places.

"That's fine. Is there something I can help you with!" Erik beamed brightly at me, and for a moment, I just stared at him, my eyes narrowed. I could already tell I was going to regret this.

"Actually, I have a proposition for you, Erik." I couldn't tell if he was more surprised by the fact that was obviously my way of indirectly asking him for help, or if it was the fact I knew his name. Not waiting for him to speak, I carried on. "You're aware of Eunice and Raguna's... um... relationship, yes?"

"Ah – yes, indeed! However he managed to get a girl before I did-" He cut off and cleared his throat. "I mean, yes, yes I do. But why do you bring it up?" His eyes sparkled – and I visibly cringed. I knew what he was hoping for – romance to come knocking on his door. That stupid story where the girl comes to another guy to make someone jealous, but ends up falling for him instead. Or maybe that just popped into my mind because Tabatha had been forcing too many fairy-tales into my brain, but I knew he wasn't thinking anything I would be considering any time soon. Everyone in this town knew how Erik was with women.

"They sicken me," I answered quietly, crossing my arms delicately across my chest. He stared at me blankly for a moment, then tilted his head to the side questionably. I continued. "I want to do something about them, but I simply can't pull it off alone. I'm not friendly with too many people in this town, not to the point where I could get information on what makes the two tick."

"You want to break the two of them up?" Erik's eyes widened in disbelief, and I shook my head slowly at his words. I thought I'd made that quite clear... how could a person be so dense?

"Yes..." I walked over to the desk he used for his cash register, gliding my gloved fingers across the wood softly, taking in it's texture. Rough, just as I'd expected. Were people incapable of getting fine furniture here? I knew not everyone was rich, but honestly... "You're quite close to everyone here in terms of friendship. So that's why I came here; to ask for your help. If you could find out a bit about their relationship, then that would help me greatly. You wouldn't have to do anything beyond that."

"But, I... That's a little cruel, don't you think?" Erik frowned and walked up behind me, his gaze glued onto me. I looked up at him in return, locking my gaze with his. His brown eyes were almost more striking than I'd expected, causing me to look away just as quickly. He was an interesting man, I'd give him that. You know... for a farmer, that is.

"Like I said, you don't have to do anything beyond just telling me a few details about them. I'll gladly give you something in return for helping me; money, an item you'd like, anything worth your while. But if you refuse, I'll simply leave and pretend I never came here, that's all. I have a lot to do, and precious little time to waste, so decide quickly, if you will."

I kept up my snob attitude as hard as I could manage without coming off as desperate – the last thing I needed was giving him a reason for him to antagonize me. Any way I looked at it, this could go terribly wrong if he decided to use this against me. However, judging by the look on his face, he had no such plans.

Erik regained his smile. "Anything?"

"That's what I said, isn't it? Or are you deaf?"

He chuckled at my words, then nodded. "Alright, I'll see what I can find out about their relationship, but I won't help you directly with... whatever it is you plan on doing. I'll think of a reward in the meantime." He finally walked by me, returning to his position behind the counter. He rested his elbows on the surface, then placed his chin on top of the back of his hand lazily. I hadn't expected it to be so easy... which led me to actually worry about what he could possibly have in mind for a future reward. "Is that all I can help you with, Bianca...?"

He stared up at me expectantly, deliberately leaning in closer to me almost in a mocking way. "That will be all," I hissed, throwing off his feeble attempts to annoy me. Or, at least, I figured he was trying to annoy me. Backing up from the counter, he chuckled at my reaction, his expression once again returning to the bright one he upheld on a regular basis. "And that's Miss Coquille to you!"

Turning on my heels and barging out of his door, trying to ignore the amused look on his bright face, I nearly collided with yet another brunette that was on his way inside. Looking up, I froze when I noticed Raguna.

"Oh, hi, Bianca." He looked down at me, confused. "What are you doing here so late?" I can see why he'd ask that; a girl like me at a place like this when the moon was fully visible was probably out of the norm. Shrugging in an absent manner, I scoffed.

"None of your business!" With that, I pushed by him, stubbornly marching my way back to the manor I lived in. I could feel him staring at me from behind, and I only hoped that Erik would be able to maintain secrecy while speaking to him. The only thing I learned about him from my visit was that he had a big mouth, captivating eyes, and the most annoying personality ever that was no doubt going to completely destroy whatever plan I had so brilliantly cooked up.

I came to the conclusion that by putting this all in motion, I'd lost my mind.

Stepping inside, I looked up to see Tabatha going into her room. It seems the night had finally consumed a few of the night owls. Those that were finished with working, anyways. Going up the stairs quietly, I glanced over at the phone off to the side and frowned. I debated over calling my father for a moment, but knew very well he'd most likely already went to sleep for the night...

It'd been a while since I spoke to him. About how things were going here, what the food was like, so on... I wondered vaguely if he'd be any help to my situation. But I knew better than to think that. All he ever had on his mind was food.

I guess this was just something I'd have to figure out on my own. And with Erik, I guess, since I'd somehow pulled him into this, but that aside.

Releasing my thoughts on the matter for the night, I made my way to my room and closed the door tightly. In the morning, though I was still making it up as I went along, my scheme would begin.

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**Yes, her wonderful scheme begins in the next chapter, which means you'll actually figure what's going on, lol. Now that everything has officially been set up, I'm finally free to move the plot along. Yay! Even though, I'll admit, I'm making some things up as I _go_ along. ;D**

**Sorry this took so long to update. I went on a mini-hiatus for whatever reason – cough. Laziness. Cough. – so I kinda resented updating anything for a while. Hopefully now I can get things moving, though, because I'm all giddy about this story.**

**As far as his name, by the way... I'm going with "Erik" instead of "Eric", seeing as the "k" is actually how it's spelled in-game. So, no, that's not a typo.**

**Any-who, please review if you read this. All suggestions on what I can do to improve are welcome, too.**

**And I'm desperately trying to keep everyone in character, so if at any time you feel I stray from anyone's personalities, let me know and I'll fix that right away.**

**Thank you!**

–**LovelyxxMelody.**


	3. Chapter II: Befitting Enough

_I don't own Rune Factory: Frontier, or it's characters!_

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_Knock knock._

I lifted my gaze from the dress in my blanketed lap to look over at the door, a clear look of boredom written across my face that I knew would be expected. Every day it was the same, as always. Every day.

Tabatha came into my room, as usual, set a tray of tea on my bedside table, as usual, and looked down at my dress expectantly. As usual. "If you need any help with getting it on, let me know. I love helping you with your attire, Miss Bianca, if you don't mind my saying that." She smiled sweetly at me, and I dismissed her, knowing that she was only trying to be nice. As usual.

I'd mentioned it before, several times in fact, to a few of the people around me, but this place was so predictable. It bothered me, how life seemed to drag on without a care in the world, nothing exciting or out-of-place every happening. People wouldn't believe it if I mentioned this aloud, too clouded by how I outwardly acted. Or perhaps it was just the fact they enjoyed the dreary, long days that drug on.

I sighed and moved out of bed, trading my nightgown for my same old dress, the same old shaw, and the same old ribbons that held up my hair. Once I was done, I walked over to the tea and poured a cup, freezing halfway on the motion of pulling it to my lips. Staring at the wall soundlessly, my mind wandered.

It had been two days since I'd gone to Erik for help, and though I was still questioning my sanity, he remained true to his word. Because of him, I knew the pattern that Eunice and Raguna used around the city, every day, making it another usual routine of this dreary place; first, they would start out either meeting one-another at the Inn, or at his farm. Then, they would wander around town together until she had to return to work, which he would use as time to conduct his daily farm duties.

After that, it varied. Sometimes they'd spend some time in the forest, or go up to the ponds until it was time to go to bed. And apparently I wasn't the only one to notice this; Erik had mentioned to me that Selphie usually fumed quietly to herself every time they walked by her book shop.

Slowly lowering my cup back to the tray, untouched, I closed my eyes and continued to think. So long did I continued this pattern, it was only when Tabatha returned to my bedroom door that I re-awoke. She stared at the untouched tea worriedly, but shook it off and walked towards me.

"Miss Bianca, you have a visitor here to see you. Actually, you have two. Raguna's here," _As usual_, I thought, "and so is that boy from below us, who runs the smaller farm. He sells seeds too... um... what's his name..."

"Erik," I finished for her, barely blinking a lash when she looked at me, obviously surprised. I looked down at the tea and swirled the spoon in it for a moment, then shrugged, showing no enthusiasm. "Tell them I'll be down in a moment."

"As you wish." Tabatha bowed her head and hurriedly made her way out of the room, knowingly leaving me behind in my confused thought process once more. She had a knack for telling when something was bothering me, but this time I found no room to be annoyed. As planned out as I had this, I found it almost ironic that at the same time, I had no idea what I was doing. My dad had once mentioned something about diving head-first into problems, and that I was too stubborn, but I figured it didn't have much a link to this situation. Or, at least, I tried not to think it did, as I would hate for him to have a reason to scold me. But that was rare.

Moving away from the bedside table, I made my way to the door, which was left partially cracked by Tabatha, and exited my room. Making sure the door closed tightly behind me, I didn't even make it half-way to the stairs before I heard an excited greeting from the door. Definitely not Raguna's.

"Bianca! Hello!"

That annoying voice immediately caused my eyes to narrow, yet I didn't make it too obvious as I looked up from the floor, descending the stairs, not with eyes on Raguna, but instead, on Erik, himself. "I told you to call me Miss Sainte-Coquille," I quipped, scowling at how easily he spoke my first name, like we were friends of sort. However, he either didn't catch that I was trying to be rude to him, or just didn't care, because his bright smile became even more radiant.

Raguna looked slightly uncomfortable, and that made me think about what they could have possibly have been discussing before I came down. I certainly hoped he hadn't disclosed any information to the new farmer, especially before I'd had the chance to really do anything. But he regained himself quickly and looked up at me, smiling. It was less radiant than Erik's. Probably not when towards Eunice, though... Not ever.

"Bianca! I'm glad you're home. I wanted to ask you something." I briefly wondered where else he possibly expected me to be, but didn't voice that thought, for some reason finding no reason to be cruel to him this morning.

"And that would be?" My usual snobby tone came into play, and as I reached the bottom of the stairs, I crossed my arms. I found a random speck of color on the wallpaper to stare at, anything to make him think I was less than interested in where this was going.

"Well, a few of us are going to the beach later, and I wanted to know if you were interested in joining us. I know the weather isn't great yet, but we thought it'd be nice to start off the season before it's blazing hot outside."

I stared at him, then looked to Erik, whom had an urgent expression on his face. I narrowed my eyes at him, this time making it noticeable. "Possibly," I answered, then leaned my weight over onto one heel. "Unless you have something to share?"

"Actually..." He looked between the both of us, then regained his usual composure; rather he was trying to be goofy or stupid was unknown to me. "I was going to ask if you'd like to go somewhere with me today, but if you'd rather accompany the group down to the beach, I would happily let you do so, fair maiden!"

I stared at him, Raguna stared at him, and even Tabatha had looked up from what she was doing on the other side of the room to stare at him. It wasn't that he was asking me to accompany him somewhere – I figured it had to do with the 'research' he was doing – but it was the mere fact that he, Erik, seemed to be asking me, Bianca, to 'hang out,' as the peasants would put it. I was quite aware we did come off as the two who would never dare speak to one-another, we were so different.

Passing up a chance to be with Raguna, even in a group, was unthinkable, yet Erik was my key to getting him to spend time with me – just me – alone. Wait, no... no, that wasn't it. It was just so I could get rid of Eunice. They just didn't look right together, that's all.

"Sorry, Raguna," I said quickly, before I could even get a grasp on what I was saying. My thoughts rolled around in my mind so frantically, I must've been acting solely on the jeal-... annoyance of the current coupling situation. "I'd like to head off with Erik for a while."

Raguna, holding no grudge but obviously very surprised by my decision, nodded in understanding. "I-I... okay." He looked between us again, and I almost thought he seemed weirded out, before he smiled kindly. "I hope you two have fun." With that, he waved at me, nodded towards Erik, then made his way out the front door. Tabatha was still staring at us owlishly.

"This had very well better be worth my time." I turned my gaze back to Erik, and almost cringed when I noticed that he was smiling victoriously, like he had been expecting it to go that way from the start. If I weren't so focused on looking as if the decision I made meant nothing to me, a look of disgust would have passed my features. "When do you want to see me?" I asked finally, sighing in defeat.

"Come meet me near the lake on the mountain at noon. I have something more to tell you about Raguna. Also..." He paused, stared at me for a second, then smiled brightly. "You're basically my partner-in-crime now, right? So we should be friendly with one-another! It's the least you can do. But don't get too excited, because that's not how you're paying me back." I was about to make an angry quip at him, but he exited the door with a loud farewell before I got the chance.

Raising my gloved hand to my forehead, I rubbed at my temples, softly. "Of all the people I could have gone to..."

Tabatha quietly returned to her job, shooting a small glance at me every few seconds. I could feel her questioning gaze.

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I wasn't there for any particular reason; just thought I'd stop by the Inn before Raguna got a chance to... oh, who was I kidding? Everyone stared at me when I entered, right down to the cashier who I'm pretty sure had forgotten my existence before now. The only people who really knew me were Raguna, Erik, Tabatha, and Kross, and that was solely because I lived near them all.

Eunice was off to the side, clearing off a few tables from the visitors that'd eaten breakfast there, while what I assumed could possibly be her father, maybe, went back to working the cash register. He noticeably muttered something under his breath, and if I'd sneezed, I would have known why.

Walking over to one of the tables, I pulled out a chair and scowled as I forced myself to sit down, horribly put-off by the lack of cleanliness, at least to my standards. It only took a few minutes for Eunice to come bounding over to me, all smiles and sunshine. She didn't even realize the headache she was giving me.

"Hi there! You're Bianca, if I remember correctly." She seemed to day-dream for a moment, no doubt considering the worst scenario of forgetting who I was before remembering my presence. She smiled sheepishly, and I immediately noted the lack of self-confidence that displayed; wonderful, I already had something to go by. "Anything I can do for you? We don't open back up for a while, but I could spare some time for you, before I have to get back to cleaning. We don't see you around often."

"I have a lot of business to attend to, usually," I lied, propping my elbow against the table, then my cheek against my balled-up fist. I figured the elegant appearance I always bore didn't clearly match up with me at the moment; I was definitely out of place in this Inn, and I knew it.

It felt like stepping into enemy territory, almost.

"I came here to talk, actually. Would you consider yourself to be dating Raguna?" I knocked my pride to the side for a moment and faked a look that was so curious, she must have thought it was genuine, because she didn't notice the smugness behind my question.

"O-Oh... well..." Her blush was enough to answer on its own, causing my fist to tighten underneath my cheek. It wasn't like I cared. It was just for the good of the town, that was all... they didn't fit together. And I kept on telling myself that.

"I see..." The comment was enough to make her understand I got it, and she shuffled her feet, smiling secretly to herself. It almost made me scowl. "Eunice, pardon my asking, but do you consider yourself self-cautious? Raguna has mentioned it to me a few times. That's why I'm here. I figured I could help."

Her gaze snapped up from the floor at that, and I knew I got her. She stared at me, wide eyed, still politely, but surprised. "He... huh?"

"Well, I mean, about your..." I trailed off, looking to the side. I wasn't totally cruel, at least not while intentionally trying to be. I couldn't bring myself to say it, and she knew that right off. Her face went slightly pale, but she faked a smile.

"Maybe a little. I've thought about it from time to time, but it's never been a big problem with me. I like who I am, but... I guess I could be a little healthier." She looked down at her stomach, then glanced to the side, her eyebrows knitting together. I studied her closely. "It runs in the family."

"If you ever decide you're interested in changing your diet, then, just stop by my house some time. My father never stops eating, so I can relate perfectly. I think he enjoys the way he looks, though, seeing as it practically broadcasts how much he enjoys food." I sighed quietly, closing my eyes. Yes, his love for food. Food, food, food. It was always about food. "In the meantime, maybe you should ask Raguna why it is he feeds you so many chocolate cakes if he knows your self-cautious about it."

I stood up from my table and forced a small smile, although I could practically imagine the sickened feeling rising in my stomach that related to once again stepping on my pride. I exited the Inn before she really had a chance to answer, but I noticed her blank stare as I left.

Without even realizing it really, I had officially moved my plans forward.

* * *

–

Grumbling angrily under my breath as I stomped up the mountain, simply appalled by how much effort it took, I almost sighed a breath of relief when sparkling blue water came into my view. Making my way over to it, I leaned down and stared at my reflection, blowing an annoying strand of hair from my eyes. My pigtails had lowered a bit, affecting by the walk up, and my dress definitely had dirt stains on the bottom. I would kill Erik for this, mark my words.

Provided it didn't go the other way around, lest he cause my own death.

"Pretty, right?" I hardly noticed the male walking up behind me, but I was expecting it, so if he was hoping to get a speck of reaction from me, it wasn't there.

"I suppose, if you're into sentiment." I scoffed and stood up straight, turning to face him. He was smiling. As usual. "To me, it's just boring."

"You're hard to please, you know?" He shook his head, the smile faltering for a moment, but only for a moment. But it was a moment I noticed.

"What was it you wanted?" I moved by him and made my way over towards one of the docks, eager to get straight to the point. Maybe if we finished quickly, I could still make it down to the beach. He followed me and when I stopped at the edge, he stopped beside me, staring down at the blue ripples the wind created in the water.

"Just wanted to let you know that Raguna was talking to me the other day, going on about a few things having to do with Eunice. Nothing you haven't heard already, but Selphie walked in while he was still there, and things got really awkward. No fights or anything, but it was really obvious she was jealous..." Erik shifted uncomfortably. "I don't know what you're doing, Bianca, but..."

He didn't finish, and I was glad. He didn't realize how much confirming Selphie's jealousy was going to help me though; Eunice would be easy to put suspicion into, especially with her low confidence. Throwing the book keeper into it would be like icing on the cake to me, though my stomach suddenly knotted up at the thought of involving another girl who was interested in Raguna.

My face must've become a mix of bland and solemn, however, because Erik was studying me closely.

"You're not happy with that discovery? And here I thought you wanted me to play detective!"

I blinked myself out of it, and looked over at him. "Do you take _nothing _seriously? Honestly." I exasperatedly threw me gloved hands up a bit, then placed them on my hips. "No, no, that will do. You have been very useful, and I thank you kindly on behalf of the Sainte-Coquille's." My voice held a note of snobby sarcasm, and I knew he caught it. Yet he still smiled.

"Glad to see you're easier to please than I originally thought." Erik paused, then leaned over. "Hey – look! There's a fish monster!"

I stared at him, then none-the-wiser, leaned over as well. "Where? I don't see anything–" I felt a small pressure against my back, and before I knew it, my horrid interest with monsters landed me a quick swim in a pool of water. I should have been smart enough to realize that would happen.

At first, I remained submerged, debating over what'd just happened. After it clicked in my mind, I angrily rose to the top of the lake and glared up at a laughing male, doubled over and clutching his stomach. His cheeks were flushed red, either from laughing, or fear of what he thought would come from it. I couldn't tell.

"How dare you?" I hissed, annoyance all over my features, even though there was a bit of a light flutter to my actual thoughts on the situation. That was new – something that didn't happen every day. No, not being thrown in a pool of water with who-knows how many germs, but someone laughing.

At me.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, it's just..." He couldn't finished his sentence, but took enough of a breath to lean down and grab me by my arm, helping me climb back onto the dock. I didn't say anything, and simply got to my feet, dripping wet as I glared at him. This was the very first dress I'd ever ruined, at least since I was a kid.

What would Tabatha say? Honestly...

"Don't you ever smile? It's not that bad, it's just water..." Erik studied me, then sighed, apparently having gotten over his fit. "Fine, fine, just don't hurt me." He held up his hands in a defensive manner, which caused me to scowl even more. What did he take me for, a peasant?

I wasn't like him. I was classy.

"How very childish of you. I should make you pay for this dress. Hmph." I crossed my arms, then looked to my side. Erik shrugged, care-free, then walked behind me. I tensed, expecting another push, but instead, he untied the ribbons from my hair.

"Here, I'll at least dry these out for you. They're real silk, aren't they? I wouldn't want them to be ruined because of me." I stared at him once he took the second ribbon out, leaving my blue hair to fall over my shoulders lazily. He carefully folded the ribbons, and I briefly wandered how he could tell the difference... he was a farmer, what did that have to do with silk? Materials he used every now and again, perhaps?

"Don't bother. I have more." Resisting his kind offer, I huffed and turned my head away from him again. I could practically imagine his smiled behind me, as bright and radiant as before, when he had been standing in my home that morning.

"Right," was the only answer I got, before he brushed by me. "If you want, I think you could make it down to the beach, still."

I studied him as he leaned down to play with the water, then walked forward and nudged him slightly so that he stumbled for a moment to catch his balance, but didn't quite fall in. He looked up at me with wide, dare I say, amused eyes. I simply scowled, acting as if it had fully been an accident, and I wasn't aware it'd happened at all. "And let them see me soaking wet? I think not! That's a suggestion only a low-life peasant could make."

I huffed and moved past him, fully ready to get down the mountain, get back home, and change into something less soaked. I felt his eyes watching me from behind, and vaguely hear him call out to me as I started to disappear down the first hill, "If you say so! Have fun with whatever you're planning, Bianca. And you should wear your hair down more often; it makes you look befitting enough to be a bride!"

My body tensed slightly... I convinced myself it was because he still refused to call me 'Miss Sainte-Coquille.'

* * *

**I'm alive. :D**

**With the release of Rune Factory 3, I just recently finished the main storyline (I know I'm slow at playing games, hush up :P), and it got me back into wanting to go over this story. I love me some Erik. 8D And Bianca, of course, can't forget her.**

**Suggestions, reviews, anything of the like are always welcome. I'll spare you the excuses on why this update took so long, haha.**

**As a reminder, let me know if I start straying to an out of character behavior with any of these people. It's the last thing I want. D:**

**Also, pen-name change, if any of you didn't notice. Yes, it's still LovelyxxMelody. XD!**

**-Matron of Madness.**


	4. Interlude: Observant

_I don't own Rune Factory: Frontier or it's characters!_

–

**Chapter POV: Erik**

* * *

–

It wasn't that I had intentions to harm anyone's personal life or the need to meddle in things I didn't belong. Quite the contrary, even if a wonderful lady was involved, I knew where my boundaries were laid out before me. Raguna had long since become one of those boundaries I never teased or tricked, even if I was cross that half the girls around were following his shadow. I held no real grudge that he was getting along better than I was, but I just couldn't _help_ it.

Watching the aristocrat slowly descend the stairs, noticeably drier than last I'd seen her, it became a little _obvious_ why I'd agreed to help her. It wasn't because she was rich or that she'd offered up the bribe of a reward – of my choosing, at that. Granted, that would be enough to sway a man, looking at all the money she held within her reach. But I liked to think myself above such things, at least most of the time, and found the easiest answer I could give myself when my mind asked what in the world I was doing.

She was so bloody _interesting._

"I will inform you that we will not be having anymore meetings up by that lake," Bianca snapped, her eyes narrowing at him in annoyance. "It took far too long to fix myself back up after that tumble and my dress still smells like fish!"

I felt my lips quirk in the hint of a smile, but held it back for the sake of keeping my head attached. She came off so cold and bitter, but there was a twitch just around her own lips, as if she were keeping herself from laughing at the absurdity of the events yesterday. My own snitching on Selphie's jealousy towards the growing attachment between Raguna and Eunice had paled in comparison to her lovely dive into the water. The thought reminded me why I was there so early in the morning.

"Ah, yes, well. About that." I chuckled and reached into my pocket, pulling out the silk ribbons I'd borrowed from her to dry. I held them out and she eyed them suspiciously. I could tell she probably wasn't used to receiving such things – she seemed to be the type that replaced something if it fell out of her liking. Easily, too. However, she reached out and took them from me with little problem, promptly peeling off one of her gloves to stroke the fabric. Her surprised look put a satisfied smile on my face.

"It's as if they didn't get wet at all! They're perfect. But how...?" Her brows had furrowed together in confusion. Of many things I was sure her maid could do, apparently drying silk properly had not been one of them.

"Old farmer trick. Clothes get really dirty working in the fields all the time, so we know a thing or two about laundry. Even us males." My smile brightened, realizing she probably didn't give praise very often for anything. At least that was one point in my favor. "Furthermore, we also have experience as a housewife that would make me the _perfect_ husband, if you're interested."

Just like that, her face fell and she rolled her eyes, exasperated. It was not a reaction I was unused to, so I pushed it aside and made a mental note to get some kind of positive reaction out of her one day. One way or another.

"Are you always like this?" She questioned, scowling at me in a quite unattractive way. I made another mental note to teach this girl how to _smile_ more often. She was going to get frown lines at this rate.

"Yes," I answered cheerfully. "At least until I have girlfriend caught in my hold." I stepped to the side and beckoned to the door, as if she were a princess. "Somewhere you wanted to go today, Bianca? I'd hate to hold up any evil scheming you have to do."

"'Miss Sainte-Coquille'!" she snapped, then sighed heavily. "As for that, I've already taken care of my toll for the day." Her lips moved slowly as she noticeably bit on them, and for a moment, I could swear the briefest flash of discomfort went by her eyes. My shoulders drooped a bit at this observation, but I didn't push her into to telling me what it was. It was probably best I didn't know what kind of plot I was aiding in, although I already had a bitter idea of what was going on.

As was my nature, I put on a comfortable smile. "Well, if that's the case, I could whisk you away and charm you all day with my presence?" I could already tell what her narrowed eyes were saying her answer was, but nonetheless, I laughed. "Yeah, that's what I thought. I'll get a laugh out of you yet!" I straightened my posture. "Ah. The least you could do is let me take care of that dress for you, then. It's my fault it got ruined anyways."

"Don't bother. I have hundreds of them." She turned her nose up into the air and thrust her head to the side. I stared at her for a moment longer, then frowned.

"Then there's no harm anyways, is there? Just let me help." She looked at me once more, a little less conviction in her gaze. She sighed. With a gesture of her hand, she turned and I fell into place with her as she brought me further into the mansion. It truly was an exquisite building, but it wasn't as if I expected less from someone as high up as her. Really, I found myself a little envious of her living conditions. Had she ever worked for anything in her life? Somehow, with my eyes burning into her back as she stayed ahead of me, I figured it wasn't all it was cracked up to be.

Her shoulders were so straight they were almost stiff and her steps were slow, as if she were slightly unsure of herself. The ribbons he'd given her were held so tightly in her hands, it was a good thing they were not made of anything breakable. For someone living in a world of luxury, to me, she seemed almost _worn_. Now that I thought about it, she had been working hard the last few days on whatever it was she was getting herself into, but somehow I don't find myself believing that is the excuse for her subtleties.

"You know, I've never seen your family around here," I noted, trying to keep my words sounding like companionable chatter and not plain curiosity. I may be impish and off my rocker at times, at least that's what Raguna says, but I hardly wanted to offend the masked woman in front of me.

Her steps faltered for a moment, and immediately I was afraid I'd done just that. But then she fell right back into her confident strides, though I did notice her stiffness had spread from her shoulders, to her spine. "My father is busy back home," she murmured, her head turning to the side for a moment so she could see me over her shoulder. I, of course, knew that her dad was not a resident and more than likely never would be. I did find it odd he had not come to visit even once, however. Although maybe it was just a summer vacation and nothing more? No, she'd been living here since she'd been given that monster.

I glanced at the walls as if the wallpaper were the most amazing thing in the world. "I see... do you talk to him much?"

"That is hardly any of your business!" Bianca turned fully and fixed me with a cold glare. When I stood there, staring at her with something akin to sympathy in my eyes, she seemed to deflate. She pointed to a small door on the left. "The wash room. Tabatha isn't in today, so just look on top of the washer."

I nodded and made my way into the room, spotting the dress with little problem. Hoisting it over my arm, I found it surprisingly light with how many frills decorated it. I noticed with a little examination that it varied a bit from the one she was wearing – this one had a corset of sorts, and briefly I wondered if she had every one made with something that individualized it from the others. I wouldn't doubt it.

"Anything else you might need?" I suggested, walking out of the room and closing the door behind me. I turned to look at her, but when I did, I was met with an empty opening. Shortly, a door on the other end of the room opened up and she walked out backwards, gently beckoning the pink monster out with her.

With movements less rigid than before, she turned and made her way over to me, Francoise in tow behind her. "That will be all, until our next meeting. But before you go, I want to make sure you still hold your end of the bargain. No matter what happens, you won't say anything about me, will you? I know you're close to Raguna..." Despite her hardened look, I knew she was worried. She must've done something that morning. The monster nudged into her from behind, and she held up a gloved hand to pet it.

I reminded myself I did not like to interfere with others' lives, even when they surpassed me in _certain_ fields of my own life (such as romance, Raguna be darned). "I won't tell anyone, Bianca. I make a deal, I keep it. Really. I promise." But, _Bianca_ be darned, I couldn't bring myself to deny her my help, even though my gut feeling told me this would end badly for my farming friend. Relief flood across her face, and even her stony expression found peace enough to show she was thankful.

Of course, not for long. She was right back to herself in seconds. "Good. Maybe you can redeem yourself for yesterday, after all. Now then, I'm going to play with Francoise. You better be able to fix that dress, _Erik_." She glowered at him, though not unkindly. Gently pushing the monster back towards the center of the room, she began to coo to him affectionately.

I noted that a gentleness overcame her when caring for that pink beast.

Chuckling to myself, I clutched the dress closer as a means of keeping it from touching the ground, and made my way through the large house once more. As I exited and closed the door behind me, my fingers lingered on the door knob for a moment longer. So lost in my thoughts was I that I did not notice Raguna storm by off to the side, rushing his way towards the city in a panic, clutching a letter in his hand. Or perhaps I chose not to notice him in a way to keep myself _oblivious_ to what was going on. A soft smile worked its way across my lips.

"She's certainly different," I murmured, cocking my head to the side as I pushed away to head back to my own home. I naturally found women to be interesting and beautiful, as I took the time to fill Raguna in on about every time he visited me, but none of the others in this place were even in the same galaxy as Bianca de Sainte-Coquille.

I found myself suddenly changing my tune and justifying any actions I would soon take in her steed. I wanted to know more about her.

* * *

**Lets face it. I'm a terrible updater. But this story is not dead. It will be finished, one day. This I promise!**

**XD;**

**Thanks to anyone who's still reading this and anyone else who happens to stumble upon it! Reviews are appreciated to give me any advice/criticism/opinions, yada.**

**I hope you liked my characterization of Erik for his first POV chapter. I'm trying to still keep him as silly as he was in the game, but kind of make him more believable too. Hopefully.**

**Thanks again for stopping by!**

**-Matron of Madness.**

**P.S. - Sorry it's shorter than the other chapters. Just an interlude to build up a little more interaction before any drama sets in, and it didn't fit into the next chapter very well. At least the story is alive? 8D**


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